1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention generally pertains to welding tables and more specifically to a lightweight fabricated platen.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional welding tables are used to help align and support work pieces that are about to be welded together. A typical welding table or platen is constructed of heavy cast iron to maintain its flatness while supporting large, heavy work pieces. Often the top of the platen is machined or ground flat with additional features machined or cast in place to facilitate the use of various tools to help align or clamp the work pieces. Such welding platens, however, have several drawbacks.
Platens are usually supported by a table or some other means of support that have a fixed height and location, as repositioning such a heavy piece of equipment would take a significant amount of effort. A platen at a fixed height poses a significant ergonomic problem, as an operator may need to stretch or climb to reach the top of large work pieces, and may need to crouch awkwardly to reach others.
Such a problem is especially prevalent in job shops where the size, shape and weight of the incoming work may be unpredictable. Often the welding platen and table supporting it are sized to accommodate the largest anticipated job. Consequently, the platen is often oversized and difficult to work around for other smaller jobs.
Moreover, when a heavy weld platen is mounted to a welding positioner, the weight of the platen itself may consume much of the positioner's weight carrying capacity, thus limiting the allowable weight of the work piece.
Also, conventional weld platens usually have a relatively thick top plate. The holes that are typically machined or cast into the top plate often only accommodate special clamps and tooling that can be expensive and often unavailable in smaller shops. The use of more conventional tooling, such as C-clamps and various vise-grips, are primarily limited to being used only around the outer perimeter of the platen.